Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Maybe he should be the Brewers' manager

Houston Astros interim manager Cecil Cooper tells his players not to throw in the towel just because their situation looks bleak. And he ought to know.

Many of them are too young to remember -- and star center fielder Hunter Pence hadn't even been born yet -- but it was Cooper's game-winning hit that fueled the Milwaukee Brewers' improbable ALCS comeback against the California Angels to put them in the World Series 25 years ago.

"Biggest hit in my life," Cooper said.

And here's Ned Yost, sounding like that guy you heard at that party one time talking about how cool the guy he doesn't know is messing around with his girlfriend is:

Yost said he was happy to see "Coopy," a man he likes and respects, get a shot at managing a major league club.

"This is a nice little audition for him," Yost said. "It gives him enough time to show that he's more than capable of doing the job."

"And Mandy thinks he's just great. They spend so much time together these days. I'm so glad that they get along so well because, man, it makes things so much easier when your buddies and your chick can hang out like this," Yost did not add, but may as well have.